Reference to background art herein is not to be construed as an admission that such art constitutes common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.
Medical devices are associated with a definitive risk of bacterial and fungal infections. To reduce the risk of infections, some medical devices are extensively cleaned after each use. For example, medical scopes such as endoscopes are normally washed and reused after each use as they are expensive to manufacture and hence to purchase.
Whilst cleaning medical scopes assist in reducing the risk of infection, determining whether the medical device has been adequately cleaned is difficult. A visual inspection gives a general indication that the medical device has been cleaned. However, internal components of the medical device may still be soiled.
Furthermore, ensuring that the internals of the medical device are dried within a predetermined time is a difficult task. As would be appreciated, failing to dry the medical device within a predetermined time may increase the risk of infection.